Natto and Shirasu Tempura Fritters
納豆としらすの天ぷら · Natto to Shirasu no Tempura
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
These are kakiage-style tempura fritters: spoonfuls of natto, shirasu and finely cut vegetables held together in a light batter and fried until crisp. Frying softens natto's strong smell and stickiness, so even children who are unsure about natto on rice often happily eat it this way. The garlic chives, carrot and onion add color and sweetness, and the tiny shirasu bring a savory, salty note and a little calcium. A bit of baking powder in the batter keeps the fritters puffy and light.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 10.5 ggarlic chives (nira)Flat-leaved chives with a mild garlic flavor, sold in bunches at Asian markets. Substitute: Scallion greens with a little minced garlic.
- 15 gcarrot
- 15 gonion
- 12 gnatto (fermented soybeans)Sticky fermented soybeans with a strong savory flavor, sold in small packs (often frozen) at Japanese grocers. Substitute: No close substitute; look for it in the frozen section of an Asian grocer.
- 4.1 gshirasu (dried baby sardines)Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
Seasonings
- 0.3 gsoy sauce
- 18 gegg
- 11.6 gflour
- 0.3 gbaking powder
- 2.8 gwhite sesame seeds
- 0.2 gsalt
- 9 gvegetable oil
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- garlic chives (nira) (にら)
- Flat-leaved chives with a mild garlic flavor, sold in bunches at Asian markets. Substitute: Scallion greens with a little minced garlic.
- natto (fermented soybeans) (納豆)
- Sticky fermented soybeans with a strong savory flavor, sold in small packs (often frozen) at Japanese grocers. Substitute: No close substitute; look for it in the frozen section of an Asian grocer.
- shirasu (dried baby sardines) (しらす干し)
- Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
Directions
- 1
Cut the garlic chives into 2 cm lengths, cut the carrot into short matchsticks, and thinly slice the onion, then cut the slices in half.
- 2
Put the natto in a bowl, add the soy sauce and mix to season it. Add the vegetables from step 1 and the shirasu and mix together.
- 3
In a separate bowl, crack and beat the egg, then add the flour, baking powder, white sesame seeds and salt and mix lightly. If the batter is too stiff, adjust by adding a little water (not included in the ingredient amounts).
- 4
Add the natto mixture from step 2 to the batter from step 3 and fold together lightly. (Because of the natto's stickiness, a thick, heavy batter is fine.)
- 5
Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F), scoop the batter in with a spoon, and fry.
If you overmix in steps 3 and 4, the flour develops gluten and the fritters won't fry up crisp, so keep the mixing light and gentle.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 201 kcal | 402 kcal | 201 kcal |
| Protein | 7.2 g | 14.4 g | 7.2 g |
| Fat | 13.8 g | 27.6 g | 13.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g | 27.9 g | 14 g |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 5.7 g | 2.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Calcium | 88.5 mg | 177 mg | 88.5 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg | 2.1 mg | 1 mg |
| Potassium | 274.5 mg | 549 mg | 274.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 201 kcal | 7.2 g | 13.8 g | 14 g | 2.8 g | 0.3 g | 88.5 mg | 1 mg | 274.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 402 kcal | 14.4 g | 27.6 g | 27.9 g | 5.7 g | 0.6 g | 177 mg | 2.1 mg | 549 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
